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April 1, 2010

[What in further we believe is that when the Buddha was born in 623 B.C. neither Nepal nor India existed in the subcontinent. We do not know the actual political geography of the subcontinent in and around the 6th century B.C. but if we are talking of the Buddha in the present context, the Lord was born in Lumbini of today’s Nepal. So he can't be said in any way he was born in a small Indian kingdom.

March 31, 2010]

AN OPEN LETTER TO DAVID GRUBIN PRODUCTIONS

The David Grubin Productions,

125 West 94th Street, New York, NY10025

Many thanks for making a documentary film on the Buddha, the Prince of Peace and Compassion. We would particularly like to thank the award-wining filmmaker David Grubin for making a film on such a matter of profound significance. We also understand the film is being aired by PBS - Public Broadcasting Service - on April 7th, 2010 with its nearly 360 member stations all over the United States of America and 110 million people through their local stations and nearly 19 million people online are expected to watch it.

We also watched the posted preview trailerof the film which starts with a fairly nice background how the Buddha was conceived by his mother. There we heard a narrator as saying, 'the Buddha was born in a small Indian kingdom'.

Our attention has been drawn to this narration. Because the Lumbini archaeological finds, particularly the Lumbini Ashokan pillar inscription does not support that the Buddha was born in an Indian kingdom. No literature on the Buddha says he was born in India. We believe this is not right information media like PBS would disseminate to the public. The information requires to be corrected before it reaches to the general public – we believe.

What in further we believe is that when the Buddha was born in 623 B.C. neither Nepal nor India existed in the subcontinent. We do not know the actual political geography of the subcontinent in and around the 6th century B.C. but if we are talking of the Buddha in the present context, the Lord was born in Lumbini of today’s Nepal. So he can't be said in any way he was born in a small Indian kingdom.

Thus we are very much concerned about the Buddha being called an Indian. It would have been much better had the narrator said the Buddha was born in present Nepal's Lumbini. You may check one of our recent postings on the Buddha birth place.

Currently, a kind of arm twistingis going on, in between the people of Nepal and India, on the Buddha birth place – Lumbini - and Kapilvastu also. The Indian side is reported as ‘forging’ another Lumbini at Aligadawa in Uttar Pradesh, a province of India.

Such kinds of provocative activities from the part of India have already annoyed Nepalese people and the PBS down here in the United Sates of America showing a film on the Buddha with incorrect information may add more fuel than water in the fire.

We would therefore request you to correct the information before the documentary is aired as scheduled on April the 7th this year.

Yes, but I was only saying that the eight republics were about Sakya state not inside it. Just as Nepal as a state could not be inside India as a state while they could make a cultural entity. We all know they were not federated states of a country, they were different countries. You can of course put Malla at the center, if you prefer that as a manner of saying because Kusinagara was a cosmopolitan center of that time, but so were Kapilvastu, Ramgram and Vaisali etc.

I think Moriya, Shakya, Koliya, Malla and Lichchhavi stretched east west making the boundaries with Nepal. History has it that the Lichchhavi, while they were escaping from the marching Kusan (who marched from Indus to take over the Gangatic plains at the heels of the breakdown of the Mauryan empire) were strong enough to overpower the rulers in Nepal and made it their country. The Lichchhavi republic was lost but Nepal had got a new ruling house! As late as 5th century AD, one Lichchhavi inscription talks of the Malla of Gandak area!

I feel nice to be discussing bits of pasts of places and people and learning more about ourselves in the process.

I would not agree with the suggestion that word India could be applied to a space in Buddha's time and an extent of its spatial territory could be established to include Pakistan and Nepal. You may like to know that Buddhist literary sources tell that none of the eight republics which shared the ashes of Lord Buddha was called India and all of them were localized in a small area about Sakya state.

It was only by the time of Ashok's grandfather Chandragupta that the Moriya state was expanded to the Indus and at that time when Kautilya wrote his Arthashastra he stated that Nepal was a foreign country for the Mauryans. Historicizing that the Kauravs and the Pandavs and their supporting warring states constituted 'word India for that time' is a poor translation of the word Mahabharata as Greater India of Buddha's time!

Sudarshan Raj Tiwari

16) So, what is the big deal whether the Budha was born here or there?

On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 12:41 AM, Ram B Chhertiwrote:

For an enlightened mystic the world takes a different perspective and meaning. These enlightened beings are not bound by the narrow boundary of man made geography. Only those who experience it directly know what is like. Many parables for the inquisitive souls.

Uninterested intellectual curiosity is the life blood of real civilization as one scholar put it after putting it to the test. Reading thousands of books wouldn't get anyone anywhere. One has to experience the thrill of mountain climbing; similarly one has to experience the bliss of being Budha as every one is potentially one. So, what is the big deal whether the Budha was born here or there ?

Subject:RE: "Siddartha Gautam was born in Lumbini but Buddha was born in India" ?

Moreover, in Buddha's days, Nepal and India couldn’t be separated from each other. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal were included within word India for that time.

14) So Buddha was born in India: Gandhi was born in South Africa ?

Date: Sat, 10 Apr 201023:34:23 -0400
Subject: "Siddartha Gautam was born in Lumbini but Buddha was born in India" ?
From:himalayanvoice@gmail.com
Dear All,

Prof. Sudarshan K Tiwari writes, below "one noted Indian politician making a speech (in Lumbini of all places and in presence of Nepal’s Prime Minister at the foundation laying of the cover structure over the archeological site) that Siddartha Gautam was born in Lumbini but Buddha was born in India"No Nepali speaker debated then. He again writes "... thatMohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in India but Mahatma Gandhi was born in a Transvaal train, (in South Africa). And you may read his paperherealso.

We hope theIndian Kapilvastu Forumpeople will have sometime to read apaperby Tara N. Mishra in reply to theirrecent poston Kapilvastu.

Subject: RE: "Siddartha Gautam was born in Lumbini but Buddha was born in India" ?

To: himalayanvoice@gmail.com

The Himalayan Voice Team,

It's indeed, a very appreciative effort of your team to disseminate every right information about Nepal and Nepalese to persons and parties concerned. Please accept my sincere thanks for the services you have extended to the country.

I wish you all the best.

Happy and prosperous New Year,2067 B.S.

Dibakar Pant,

Retired Secretary , Government of Nepal

Currently in United States of America

12) Yes,The Buddha got enlightened in India

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Ram B Chherti

Date: Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 11:44 PM

Subject: RE: "Siddartha Gautam was born in Lumbini but Buddha was born in India" ?

There are far more important issues facing the humanity as never before than engaging full time in academic discussion of this type. Yes, in a way, he was right because the Buddha got enlightened in India. Personally, I feel that Buddha's teachings are far more important than where he was actually born.

Thank you,

R B Chhetri

11) I am proud of you, we continue working together in other national issues also

The Himalayan Voice Team, very well done by raising this important issue and getting responses from the concerned institutions I am proud of you, we continue working together in other national issues also,

Durga Pokhrel

10) No point sitting in argument with such people

On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 9:05 AM, Sudarshan Raj Tiwari wrote:

Dear Sirs,

Buddha was born in Lumbini, not according to sacred tales alone. No less an authority as Emperor Ashok has left a note about the truth, may be for posterity of the unkind type that he expected would arise in the following empires.

Also Lumbini is the only one of the four key sites associated with Buddha which has been archaeologically investigated and the marker stone, the venerated spot of birth, is exposed for all to see.

I had heard one noted Indian politician making a speech (in Lumbini of all places and in presence of Nepal's Prime Minister at the foundation laying of the cover structure over the archeological site) that Siddartha Gautam was born in Lumbini but Buddha was born in India. There is no point sitting in argument with such people.

They would understand the foolishness in the argument if a South African said that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in India but Mahatma Gandhi was born in a Transvaal train, (in South Africa). No Nepali speaker however formally reacted to the Indian remark then.

Sudarshan Raj Tiwari,

Professor of Architecture,

TribhuvanUniversity,

Institute of Engineering, Lalitpur Nepal.

9) Documentary with mixed information

On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 6:37 PM, The Himalayan Voice wrote:

Dear All,

The PBS in USA aired the Buddha Documentary last night. It aired the documentary with mixed information. It says 'his mother, a queen of small Indian kingdom", ‘Indian sage' and "In Southern Nepal, at the foot of the Himalayas, is one of the world's holiest places, Lumbini where, according to the sacred tales, the Buddha was born."

How the viewers took the information that is another question but unnecessary now! Anyway, many thanks to David Grubin Productions, PBS, National Endowment for Humanity' and "The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation for producing such a documentary of profound significance.

Thank you for your interest in WGBH. We always appreciate hearing from our viewers, listeners, and Web site visitors.

Thank you for e-mail regarding "Buddha" "Your comments have been forwarded to our program director and the producers of the program for careful review and consideration.

It is an important part of the process of programming for public television and radio to benefit from the response of viewers and listeners. And we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

We hope you continue to enjoy the programs on WGBH - produced in Boston, shared with the world. Visit wgbh.org for information about WGBH programs and services and to sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter, @gbh, which includes reminders of upcoming programs on WGBH 2, 44, 89.7, information on your favorite PBS sites, answers to your questions, and the latest WGBH news.

Sincerely,

WGBH Member Development and Services

WGBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.

7) PBS Airing Wrong Information on the Buddha ?

Dear David Grubin Productions,

The preview trailer still says the same thing implying that the Buddha was born in India. We may seem here ethno-centric but your narrating "his mother, queen of a small Indian kingdom had a dream" ;" Buddha the Indian sage" etc. makes us feel disgraced. This is wrong information.

You have written below something different but the preview trailer still says the same thing. This is the clash of information in your documentary . Viewers will get bewildered surely.

Thank you for contacting us at New Hampshire Public Television. We value your opinion about the ‘Buddha’ which will be shown later in April on NHPTV. Since we did not produce the program, you should send your comments directly to the filmmaker, David Grubin, at: http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/contact/

Sincerely,

Viewer Services

New Hampshire Public Television

268 Mast Road

Durham, NH03824

(603)868-7552 fax

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5) The movie producer certainly deserves appreciation for his work on the Buddha

The movie producer certainly deserves appreciation for his work on the Buddha, who is well regarded as the Light of Asia and Apostle of World Peace.

The teachings of Buddha 0n: truth, peace, non-violence, and compassion have become more relevant today than ever before. Even millions of Buddhist devotees and Hindus and others consider Buddha as incarnation of God.

I believe the film producer doesn't want to hurt this segment of human society. As far as the birthplace of Lord Buddha is concerned, the fact speaks itself of the history, through the Ashok Pillar and the Chinese pilgrim Huen Sang and Fa - Hien's writings, the record of UNESCO designating Lumbini as a world cultural heritage and the United Nations' International Committee for Development of Lumbini etc. The question is, “where is Lumbini located?’ Anyone who would like to visit this place would, no doubt, find it in present Nepal.

Nepalese people are of proud of the fact that Nepal has always remained an independent country. I have also found misinformation being provided to the tourists. I believe no one should hesitate to speak and communicate the truth about the birthplace of Lord Buddha if we are truly to do justice to His teachings of peace and nonviolence in the present world.

I hope this will be a little help the movie producer in finding the true fact.

Looks like PBS is also airing the voice come from some big shark. It does not look good for a reputed media organization like PBS to air this type of program. It looks like there are some artists who accept, without checking, everything for a telecast whatsoever. It seems it does not matter for them whether it is authentic or false.

Many thanks for this. Enough is enough. We will take it up with the highest authority in India through our wise and intelligent Indian friends.

R B Chhetri

2) Not the Sacred Tale but Historical Evidence:

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Dr Shanker Thapa

Date: Fri, Apr 2, 2010 at 4:38 AM

Subject: Re: Not the Sacred Tale but Historical evidence

To: David Grubin Productions

Cc: The Himalayan Voice

The David Grubin Productions,

125 West 94th Street, New York, NY10025

Dear Sir,

I am very much concerned with the notification I received from the Himalayan Voice Team, Cambridge, Massachusetts, about your documentary film on the Buddha, the Prince of Peace and Compassion. Thanks for your response on the issue to the Himalayan team. However, I have some points to make you clear on what you replied to them. You have mentioned – 'In Southern Nepal, at the foot of the Himalayas, is one of the world's holiest places, Lumbini where, according to the sacred tales, the Buddha was born.'

The phrase 'Sacred Tales' has seriously drawn my attention. It is not the sacred tale, there is the Ashokan Pillar with an inscription in front of the Maya Devi temple as the concrete historical evidence which attests the fact that the Historical Buddha was born in Lumbini. And Lumbini is now situated in Rupandehi district in Southern Nepal. If you insist on the phrase 'Sacred Tales', it will be an unjust practice in the interpretation of history.

My concern to write you is to draw your attention and do justice in history. Please pay attention on it before your air the documentary.